CeraVe Facial Moisturising Lotion for oily acne-prone skin
Ceramide Np
Niacinamide
Sodium Hyaluronate
Ceramide 6 Ii- Ceramide 1
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate moisturizing for your oily skin, with glycerin and sodium hyaluronate providing hydration, while niacinamide helps with seboregulation, though stronger oil-controlling ingredients are absent.
- The formulation is generally safe for your oily skin and acne concerns, as it lacks harsh or prohibited substances and focuses on supportive hydration.
- This product provides general skincare benefits like hydration, but lacks targeted ingredients to directly address your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
How to apply
- Use this AM and PM routine every day to help clear your skin. Always remember to finish with SPF in the morning.
- Apply the moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your SPF during the day.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and avoid rubbing to keep pores clear.
- Apply on clean, slightly damp skin to help the product absorb better and control oil.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a simple patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 60.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this lightweight, oil-free lotion is highly regarded for its ability to repair the skin barrier and calm redness, making it a favorite for those with acne-prone or oily skin. Most users experience softer, hydrated skin without irritation. A small number of users report breakouts or a burning sensation.
Highlights
Lightweight texture Mostly Mentioned
- “sinks in really nicely”
- “leaves no oily residue”
- “perfect for oily skin”
- “feels like nothing on”
Gentle formula Often Mentioned
- “doesn't sting my eyes”
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “no fragrance is a plus”
- “super gentle”
Repairs barrier Often Mentioned
- “healed my moisture barrier”
- “reduced redness overnight”
- “soothed my irritated skin”
Hydrating and soft Sometimes Noted
- “skin feels so soft”
- “plumps up my skin”
- “woke up with glowing skin”
- “keeps flakes away”
Not hydrating enough Sometimes Noted
- “not enough for dry skin”
- “need to apply layers”
- “skin felt tight later”
- “too light for winter”
Small packaging Sometimes Noted
- “bottle is tiny”
- “runs out too fast”
- “wish it came in a tub”
- “expensive for the size”
Burning sensation Rarely Noted
- “burned my face”
- “stung upon application”
- “turned my face red”
- “felt hot and itchy”
Causes breakouts Rarely Noted
- “gave me cystic acne”
- “clogged my pores”
- “caused tiny whiteheads”
- “worst breakout of my life”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, ulta.com, target.com, boots.com, superdrug.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion work for oily acne-prone skin?
This product works for your skin by providing moderate hydration and helping to balance oil, though other options may fit better. An ideal product for oily acne-prone skin needs powerful hydrating and repairing ingredients, soothing extracts, and lightweight textures that do not clog pores or add excess oil while helping to clear blemishes.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, and niacinamide make this cream a good fit by providing gentle hydration and helping control excess oil without clogging pores. An oily acne-prone skin type needs a product of this type to include lightweight hydrators, oil-controlling agents, and targeted blemish-fighting ingredients.
What do Ceramides do for oily acne-prone skin?
Ceramides help keep oily acne-prone skin calm and smooth by strengthening the skin barrier and locking in moisture. Since acne-prone skin often has lower levels of these natural lipids, adding ceramides helps reduce irritation, redness, and moisture loss. A product for this skin type needs barrier-supporting ingredients like ceramides and gentle hydrators to prevent dryness and balance oil.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
What does Niacinamide do for oily acne-prone skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oil production, calms redness, and is unlikely to irritate oily, acne-prone skin while improving blemishes. Clinical tests show it reduces excess oil and helps clear up both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Where does it go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer fits in the morning routine after your hydrating toner and before sunscreen, and in the evening routine as the final step after your treatment. It provides general hydration for your oily skin, but this skin type needs targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and stronger oil control to work best.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying the moisturizer first to help soothe dryness and irritation, then following with your retinol treatment. This type of routine helps protect your skin barrier, though oily acne-prone skin also needs targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and stronger oil-controlling components.
How often should I use it?
You can use this moisturizing treatment twice daily to keep your oily acne-prone skin hydrated. Regular use is unlikely to clog your pores, though this skin type also needs targeted ingredients that directly clear breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for your oily acne-prone skin, as it is generally safe and lacks harsh substances, though it also lacks targeted ingredients to directly address your blemishes. To better fit this skin, a product of this type needs stronger oil-controlling ingredients and targeted blemish-fighting components.
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this moisturizing treatment around your eyes and on your body, as its safe formulation provides general hydration without harsh substances. However, because skin thickness varies across body regions, products used on very thin areas like the eyelids may benefit from specialized ingredients designed for targeted regional needs.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017A lipid mixture enriched by ceramide NP with fatty acids of diverse chain lengths significantly improved skin barrier recovery rate, stratum corneum integrity, and hydration compared to a vehicle cream in healthy adult male volunteers with corticosteroid-impaired skin.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2022Emulsions containing ceramides 1 and 3 improved skin hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss in sodium lauryl sulfate-irritated skin of fifteen healthy Asian women compared to a control emulsion.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2008Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019
Why other moisturizers fit oily acne-prone skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.
Molecules, 2023A facial serum containing snail secretion filtrate, Calendula officinalis, and Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract significantly reduced inflammatory acne lesions compared to placebo in 66 participants with mild-to-moderate maskne over 12 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceramide Np, Ceramide 6 Ii, Ceramide 1, Phytosphingosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Ceteareth-20, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Cholesterol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Disodium Edta, Dipotassium Phosphate, Potassium Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.